A friend found her dead in her bedroom. Hodges lived alone in the apartment, at the rear of a Prudential Insurance building.

Detectives say Hodges' killer was trying to rape her. They looked at a number of suspects, but the leads dwindled over the years. The killing was never solved, despite a $20,000 reward offered by Hodges' family.

Now her family is once again asking for tips from the public.

"It's been nine years. Maybe somebody will talk," said her daughter, Sue Herman. "We're still trying to find out who did this to our mother."

Police spokesman Mike Puetz, who ran St. Petersburg's homicide squad when Hodges was killed, said her death remains under investigation to this day.

"It's still a very active investigation. There are efforts being made currently to solve it," Puetz said.

"It's still assigned to a detective, and we do periodical reviews of our cold cases."

Anyone with information on the case can call the St. Petersburg Police Department's anonymous tip line at (727) 892-5000.